Knitting machine



Aug; 6, 1929 E. u. AMEs KNITTING MACHINE Filed March 19, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet Aug. 6; 1. 929. 7

E. u. AMES KNITTING- MACHINE Filed March 19, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 E/me UAmes Aug. 6, 1929. E. u. AMES Y KNITTING MACHINE Filed March 19, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet snow what E/merl/Ames Aug. 6, 1929. E. u. AMES KNITTING MACHINE Filed March 19, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet v gme'ntor ElmerZlAmes Patented Aug. 6, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELMER U. .illVlIES, OF COLLINGSWOOD, NEW JERSEY; CAMDEN SAFE DEPOSIT TRUST CO. EXECUTOR OF SAID ELMER- KNITTING MACHINE.

U. AMES, DECEASED.

hEiSdilED Application filed March 19, 1926. Serial No. 96,049.

said invention relates to knitting machines and particularly to mechanism for sef lecting needles for special operations, as for the formation of'drop stitch, tuck stitch and various other forms of knitting. The mechanism-"is here illustrated in connection with a circular knitting machine tops and the like said machine having a stationary needle cylinder and a rotary cam ring but is clearly'applicable to machines having a rotary needle cylinder, footers, etc. and certain features thereof may be found applicable for use in machines of other types such as straight machines. It is an object of the invention to provide mechanism of .the character described which shall covera'very wide range of possible changes for making various patterns in the knit fabric.

Another object of the invention is to provide extreme mutability to secure many pattern changes in the fabric with relatively simple mechanism which shall be inexpensive to manufacture, easy to manipulate for changing the patterns and not liable to get out of order.

. A further object of the invention is ,to provide means whereby a pattern change may extend over a greater length of the fabric than has heretofore been possible, before proceeding to'make a repeat.

This application is, in part, a continuation of my application Serial No. 25,915, filed April 25, 1925, of my application 717,182, now Patent No. 1,697,488, and of my application 7l7,184(, now Patent No. 1,697,490. Certain parts are also claimed in divisional application 352,503, April 4, 1929. I

Referring to the accompanying drawings which are made a part hereof and on which similar reference characters indicate similar parts, Figure 1 is aperspeetive showing my means applied to a circular knitting machine of standard type, together with various cooperating parts, t

Figure 2, a vertical section at one side of theaxis,

Figure 3, a horizontal section above the trick wheel,

Figure 3*, a detail of parts shown in Figure 3,

Figure i, a similar section below the tricks for making hose to ribbing machines,

ofthe trick wheel showing the driving means or the wheel, 2

Figure 5, an elevation of a part of the needle row,

Figure 6, a section on line 6-6 of Figure 5, v F gure 7 a section on line 77 of Figure 5, F gure 8, a section on line 8-8 of Figure 5, v Figure 9, a vertical section showing a trick wheel of modified form, and

Figure 10, a horizontal'section of the same. In the drawings reference character 10 indicates the fixed frame of the machine on which is a needle cylinder 11 provided with radial slots which may be of conventional character and which serve as guiding'means for needles 12. The needles are here shown as latch needles but may be of any desirable or conventional character. Jacks or projectors 13 are arranged in underlying relation to the needles and parallel thereto said jacks being buried in the needle slots back of the needles and having lugs 14 adapted to engage with the lower ends of the needles which in turn areprovided with butts 15 for engagement with needle cams such as indicated at 16 and 17. The'needles are held in place as usual by spring rings 18, and 19 and a springring 20 near the lower end of the needle grooves serves to hold the lower ends of the jacks in place to prevent them from moving out too far. The jacks are provided at their lower ends with butts 21 for engagement by a raising cam 22 positioned to engage under the butts to raise the jacks and the needles when these parts are in the position shown in Figures 6 to 8.

A spring ring 23- lies in a groove in the outer eriphery of'the cylinder approximate- 1y mi way between the ring 20 and the upper rings 18 and 19. The ring 23 serves to hold in place a series of pressers or sub-jacks 24 lying in the respective needle slots in front of the jacks. For convenience the pressers are shown in Figures 5 to 8 as being provided each with a single butt 25 but it will be understood that there may be a plurality of butts on each of the pressers.

' cams 26 and the butts not needed for the formation of the desired pattern are broken off prior to positioning the pressers in front of the jacks in the respective needle slots.-

The cams 26 are here shown as comprising two independent sets corresponding to the two yarn-feeds (or'sets of yarn guides) of a hose-top machine. Each set of cams is pivotally supported on a post 27 and the cams are provided with springs 28 arranged to move the cams away from the needle cylinder and so out of engagement with the presser butts 25. A rod 29 for tensioning the springs is secured in position on the frame by a setscrew 31.

Actuating mechanism for the'cams 26 comprises trick wheels (Fig. 2). In the present embodiment of the invention the posts are shown in the form of square-headed bolts held in place by nuts 34 fitting in suitable under-cut slots at 35 on the frame. It will be obvious that by turning a bolt its nut may be loosened and its trick wheel can be moved radially in or out with respect to the needle cylinder for positioning the trick wheel properly with respect to its cams 26. The term trick-wheel as used herein' may be roughly defined as denoting a pattern form with a series of slots adopted to receive inserts (tricks) each of which carries a plurality of pattern indications such as projecting lugs. The use of an upright drum, as described in my co-pending application 25,915, with a suitably shaped periphery for acting on transmitting elements such as there in shown at 25, is contemplated as being within the scope of. my invention as is also the use of a pattern band (Figs. 9 and 10) and-other equivalent devices.

Each trick wheel has a series of radial slots in which are mounted tricks 36 held in place by a spring ring 37. It will be seen that the tricks are therefore readily removable in similar manner to the pressure 24, the jacks 13 and the needles 15. The tricks are provided with lugs 38. suitably'spaced for engagement with the noses 38 of the respective cams and in the preferred method of manufacture each trick is provided with a series of lugs suflicient in number for actuating all the cams. Such lugs as are not needed for a particular pattern are subsequently broken out leavingonly the correct number forthe pattern desired. For example Figure 2 shows at the left-hand side of the trick vwheel a trick with two lugs in operative relationto the cams and at the right-hand side a trick with nine lugs in such operative relation, there being also three lugs shown in a position too high to be available for operation of any of the cams. The trick wheel and the cams are mounted on a ring 39 mounted for rotation about the needle cylinder in any convenient manner. which ring carries the cam ring, as is usual in machines .of this type.' This support also carries a'post 40 (Fig. 2) engaging the lowermost cam 26 to prevent sagging 32 rotatable-on posts 33' .an abutment plate 45 fixed to the and consequent binding on the pivot post 27, while another part secured to the fixed frame carries a post 40 arranged to prevent upward displacement of the cams and a pawl 57 hereinafter described.

It will be seen that with the parts in the position indicated, e. g. in Figures 2 and 3, the same pressers will be actuated in successive revolutions'topress the same jacks inward whereby the same needles will be prevented from rising to take the yarn at the'feed corresponding to the trick wheel shownin said figures and said needles may therefore be caused to knit only with the yarn from the other feed, it being understood that the machine here illustrated is provided with two sets of yarn guides corresponding to the two needle controlling, pattern 'mechanisms indicated in Figure 1. lVhile the controlling means is described as intended for causing the needles either to go into action for knitting or to remain entirely out of action it is not necessarily limited to such control.

For indexing, i. e., rotating the trick wheels step by step on their axes as they revolve about the axis of the machine I have provided means comprising a pawl 41 pivoted on an arcuatc. bar 43 slidably supported a curved slot on the rotating ring 39. A spring 44 is connected at one end to a lug rigid with the pawl 41 and at the other end to a part fixed to the ring 39, said spring serving thus to move the pawl toward the trick wheel and thereby cause it to engage in the spaces between the tricks. It will be seen therefore that longitudinal movement of the bar 43 in one direction will cause the pawl to advance relatively to the trick wheel whereas movement in the other direction will cause the pawl to move the trick wheel if its tooth is permitted to engage be-v tween the tricks, in which case the trick wheel will be rotated at each revolution of the cam ring to change the operative relation of the trick wheel and the cams relatively to the pressers for the jacks.

Operating means for the bar 43 comprises forward end of a lever 4.6 pivoted at 47 by means of a pair of set-screws 48 engaging in slots in the plate 45and thus providing for radial adjustment of the plate to vary the camaction on the bar 43. Downward movement of the rockarm is limited by one or more set-screws 49 in the fixed arm 50 on which the rockarm is pivoted. This post also carries the controlling mecha nism for the yarn guides but these elements are not described as they form no part of the present invention. 'A link 51 connects the lever 46 to pattern mechanism of suitable character for moving the plate 45 into and out of operative relation to the slide bars 43 of the respective trick wheels. In this way each trick wheel may be rotated at each revolution plained. In the present embodiment of the ratchet ber of trick wheels and yarn feeds is increased the trick wheels may be operated in'any desirable sequence for producing various effects in the fabric. Obviously the trick wheels may also be permitted to remain without rotation for any'desirable length of time.

The pawl'41 mayoperate directly on the trick wheel so as to move the trick wheel each time the arcuate bar 43 is moved, such operation being pattern-controlled as just exinvention I have however,shown a 52 supported for rotation about the post 33 as an axis and preferably as shown in Figure 2 the ratchet is mounted for rotation about a flange on a bushing 53 held by the post 33 against rotation while the trick wheel is journaled on this bushing. The ratchet has deep indentations as at 54 and shallow. indentations as at 55 (Fig. 4) in either one of which the pawl is adapted to engage when it is actuated by the bar 43. Should the pawl engage in a deep indentation it will also be enabled to engage between tricks of the trick Wheel as will be evident from consideration of Figure 2 so as to rotate the trick wheel. hand should the pawl-engage a shallow indentation it willnot engage the trick wheel and only the ratchet will be rotated. It results consequently that where the ratchet is used the pawl can operate the trick wheel only on alternate actuations ofthe pawl. If the plate is in the dotted line' position of Figure 2 the pawl will not be operated and the needles will operate as inthe previous course of knitting.

.The ratchet is centered and held against overrunning by means of a detent 56 held in place by a spring 57 A pawl 57 serves to hold the trick wheel in place during operations and to center it with reference to the coacting elements under pressure of spring 58.

In a modified form of the invention, as illustrated in Figures 9 and 10 the trick wheel 58 cooperates with cams 59 acting on pressers 24, jacks 13and needles 12 all as in the form previously described. The cams 59 in this form of the invention have noses 60 reduced at both sides to enter notches in a ribbon 61 (preferably endless), The noses here are shown as reduced at both sides though they may be reduced at one side only as shown in the modification previously described or may be otherwise of suitable form to pass through any kind of suitable apertures in a ribbon of the character described. The ribbon travels in the direction of the arrow and the cams are provided at 62 with inclined faces whereby they will be caused to ride out of the slots in the ribbon and the corresponding recesses in the trick wheel as the wheel rotates. The ribbon may be driven in any suitable i. e. either by driving the trick wheel or by some other driving means and is provided with apertures at 63 for engagement by pins 64 projecting from the wheel.

On the other tendency of the manner,

and pressers may be arranged as indicated in Figure 5, the needles and jacks being all similarly positioned and duplicates of each other while the pressers are differentiated by the varying positions of their butts. The cams 26 also are duplicates of each other while the tricks in the trick wheel have butts arranged according to the desiredpattern. According to the position of the tricks certain of the cams will now be pressed toward the cylinder bythe butts to flex the corresponding jacks toward the axis of the cylinderand thus move them out of the way of the cam 22. The jacks will therefore not be raised and the corresponding needles, as will be understood from consideration of Figure 2, will not be raised to clear. their latches and take the new yarn at the corresponding feed while the needles of the jacks that have t not been forced in willbe so raised.

It will be assumed for convenience that the needles are rendered active or inactive in groups of three due to the arrangement of retained presser butts and the trick butts, as indicated in Figure 5. Now as the cams move in the direction of the arrows past the needle row the cams 26 will act'on certain of the pressers 24 to flex their jacks and bring them. out of reach of the cam 22 whereupon the butts of these jacks will pass behind the cam 22, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 5'. It is desirable to permit the jack butts to spring out again. as soon 'as possible in order to avoid difficulties arising from the needles to be sprung outward radially by the flexing of the jack and for this reason the cam 22 is cut away at 67 while an inclined surface at 68 connects the rear face ofthe cam with the slot 67 so that the outward movement of the butts may be a controlled one and not a sudden snapping out. It is understood, of course, that the pressers and cams are held in only during the movement of the relatively small arc.

The control of the trick wheel on the 22 or not becomes operative at the line trick wheel through amarked contact point in Figure 5 so that all the jacks will be lifted a little distance above the normal position and thereafter will either pass back of the cam or ride on up as indicated for the first two solid line butts following the three shown in dotted lines as passing back of the cam 22. The active buttsof each active group of three jacks ivillcontinue to be lifted by the, cam until they pass over the top of the same (Fig. 7 and thus will raise the needles sufficiently 'high to permit their butts to strike raised jacks remain in elevated position.

,.Thercafter the active needles are moved A mentplate 45 remains in the downward by the stitch cam 16 and consequently force their jacks down to the' extreme low level. .The inactive needles also strike the stitch cam near the bottom .of the stitch drawing incline and are forcedback to the lower-most position carrying with them their jacks to bring the butts from the slightly raisedposition-shown at the bottom of Figure 5 to: the lower-most position.

At the next rotation of the cam ring the same operation may be repeated if the abutposition shown in Figure 1. If, however, it has been returned to the position of Figure 2 then the bar 43 will strike it and will cause pawl 41 to turn the ratchet 52. If now the pawl engages a deep slot in the ratchet it will also engage between two tricks of the trick wheel and index or turn the wheel one step thereby causing the needle operation to.vary unless the trick now to be operative is a duplicate of the one previously in action. A similar operation maypoccur at each feed, if there are more feeds than one, it being understood that there may befour or more on a machine of large diameter.

asv

' may be made owing to for 'a fabric having a pattern of each The operation of the machine with the mechanism shown in Figures 9 and 10 is substantially the same as in the form heretofore described excepting that longer patterns the greater length of the ribbon 61 as compared with the circumferenee of a trick wheel.

It will be understood that either wheel or bothmay be actuated during a revolution of the cam ring or neither may be actuated ac-' cording to the control of the abutment late 45 by the pattern mechanism below the iead of the machine. It is also possible to use a single wheel with a plurality of feeds, e. g., of solid color and a ground of alternating rounds of yarns feed. A wheel may be used at each be moved at each rotation of the cam ring or they maybe moved by alternate rotations or one may refeed and each wheel may main out of action while a complete pattern during is knit with the other and then the first'wheel is put into action while the second remains out the knitting of the second pattern. I

It'will be obvious that the cams 26 must be out of action if a wheel is to be out of action. For this purpose I may omit a trick or use a trick having all its butts broken .ofl. When plain knitting is to be done, as before and after the pattern at the upper end of a stocking obviously each trick wheel must be made idle at the same time, by this or equivalent of the active yarn; that a solid pattern is made which stands out in such a manner that cotton yarn may be used for both the main and the pattern yarn instead of it being necessaryto use silk for the pattern yarn as heretofore; that the variation of patterns is almost infinit; and that patterns may be made of an unusual length.

Other changes than those suggested will occur to those skilled in the art and it will also be obvious to those skilled in the art that other variations may be made in the machine without departing from the spirit of the in- I vention; therefore I do not limit myself to what is shown in the drawings and described in the specification but only as indicated in the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In an independent needle knitting machine, knitting needles and j means for elevating them selectively comprising strip-like elements individual to said needles said striplike elements each having one or more butts variously locate'daalong their length and having a movement transversely of the needle bed, and pattern means adapted to act on each butt for imparting such transverse movement to the strip l-ike elements, said elements and said pattern means moving eonstantly past each. other'in theoperation of the machine;

2. A knitting machine comprising a series of needles, needle cams, a series of jacks for moving such needles into operative relation with the needle earns, a jack cam, means for moving the jacks into and out of operative relation to said cam including a series of pr'essers each operative only on one jack of the series, said pressers having butts at differ- .ent points in their length, a series of cams -movable into and out of operative relation relative to said presser-butts, and means for moving said cams selectively, substantially as set forth. 7

3. A knitting machine comprising a series of needles, a series of jacks for moving such needles, a jack cam, means for" moving the jacks into and out of operative relation to said cam including a series of pressers having butts at dilferent points in their length, a series of cams movable into and out of operative relation relative to said presser butts, and a rotary trick wheel having tricks acting directly on said cams for actuating them selectively, substantially as set forth.

4. A knitting machine comprising a, series of needles, a series of jacks for moving such needles, a jack cam, means for moving the jacks into and out of operative relation to said cam including a series of pressers having butts at different points in their length, a series of cams movable into and out of operative relation relative to said butts, a rotary trick Wheel having tricks for actuating said movable cams selectively, and means for index ing the trick wheel between the knitting of successivercourses, substantially as set forth.

5. A knitting machine comprising a series of needles, a series of jacks for moving such needles, a jack cam, means for moving the jacks into and out of operative relation to said cam including a series of pressers having butts at different points in their length, a series of cams movable into and out of operative relation relative to said butts, a rotary trick wheel having tricks for actuating said movable cams selectively, and pattern-controlled means for indexing the trick wheel, substantially as set forth.

6. In a knitting machine, a series of independent needles, a bed therefor, needle actuating'cams, a series of jacks for moving the needles into the range of sald cams, a cam for actuating the 3acks, pressers for moving the jacks out of range of the jack-cam, and

pattern-controlled means wholly on the needle side of the bed for operating the pressers,

- substantially as set forth.

7. In a knitting machine, a series of independent needles, needle actuating cams, a series of jacks for moving the needles into the range of said cams, a cam for actuating the jacks to move selected needles, pressers for moving the jacks out of range of the j ack-cam, pattern-controlled means for operating the pressers including a trick wheel having longitudinal slots, and removable differentiated tricks in said slots, substantially as set forth.

8. In a knittingmachine, a series of independent needles, a series of cams. for actuating said needles, means for bringing the butts of the needles into and out of operative relation with the cams including a trick wheel revolving with the needle cams, removable tricks extending lengthwise of the wheel, said tricks having integral projecting butts at different points in their length, a pawl for rotating the trick Wheel on its axis, and a pattern-controlled abutment plate on the fixed frame of the machine movable into and out of operative relation With said pawl, substantially as set forth.

9. In a knitting machine, a series of independent needles, a series of cams for actu ating said needles, means for bringing the butts of the needles into and out of operative centrically with the trick wheel, said ratchet I having deep notches and shallow notches, and

a pawl for engagement-with said notches the deep notches permitting the pawl to engage the trick wheel and the shallow notches preventing such engagement, substantially as set forth.

10. A circular knitting machine'comprising a stationary needle cylinder, a series of needles therein, a cam ring, a set of rotary needle cams on said cam ring, jacks movable parallel to, the needles to bring the needles into reach of a needle cam and having parts underlying the needle shanks, a jack-actuating cam, pressers in the needle grooves positioned to act selectively on said .jacks, and means for actuating said pressers selectively to move'said jacks out of reach of said cam including a planetary element on said cam ring, substantially as set forth.

11. A circular knitting machine comprising astationary needle cylinder, a series of needles therein, a cam ring, a set of rotary needle cams on said cam ring, jacks movable parallel to the needles to bring the needles into reach of a needle cam, a jack-actuating cam, pressers in the needle grooves positioned to act selectively on said jacks, means for actuating said pressers selectively to move said jacks out of reach of said cam including a planetary element on said cam ring, and pattern-controlled means for rotating such planetary element at predetermined intervals, substantially as set forth.

12. A circular knitting machine comprising a stationary needle cylinder, a series of needles therein, a cam ring, a set of rotary needle cams on said cam ring, jacks movable parallel to the needles and having parts underlying the needle shanks, a jack-actuating cam, pressers in the needle grooves positioned to act selectively on said jacks, means for actuating said pressers selectively to move said jacks out of reach of said cam including a planetary element on said cam ring, and pattern-controlled means for rotating such planetary element at predetermined regular or irregular intervals, substantially as set forth.

13. A knitting machine comprising a slotted needle bed, a needle slidable in a slot in said bed, a jack lying in said slot with operating means projecting therefrom, said jack being movable with the needle and independently thereof, means onthe jack for engaging the needle to raise the same, a cam. directly engagin the projecting means to actuate the needle, and. selective means acting on the outer face of the jack to prevent engagement of the jack and the jack-cam, substantially as set forth.

14. A knitting machine comprising a slotted needle cylinder, a needle slidable in a slot in saidcylinder, a jack movable in said slot with the needle and independently there.-

of, means on the jack for contacting with the needle to raise the same, a cam for actuating the jack, means to prevent contact of the jackand the jack-cam including a cam outside .th fneedle cylinder movable toward and from the jack, and a rotary device for actuating'ssaid last-named cam, substantially as set forth.

15. In a knitting machine, a slotted.

needle cylinder, needles therein, means for.

' controlling the operation of individual needles including a longitudinally grooved wheel parallel to the needle cylinder, differentiated tricks interchangeably positioned in the grooves of the wheel and stationary with respect to movement lengthwise of the wheel,

' being adapted to be actuated at each rotation of said relatively rotatable parts, substantially as set forth.

17. In a knitting machine, a needle cylinder, a trick wheel rotatable about an axis parallel to that of the needle cylinder, a cam ring rotatable relatively to the needle cylinder, interchangeable diifercntiated tricks extending in the direction of the length of the wheel adapted to act selectively on the needles, means for turning the wheel, said means being adapted to be actuated at each rotation of said relatively rotatable parts, and means to disable said wheel rotating means during predetermined rotations of such relatively rotatable parts, substantially as set forth.

18. In a knitting machine, a slotted needle bed. a cam normally actuating all the needles, a trick wheel on an axis parallel to the needles, said wheel carrying interchangeable striplike elements parallel to its axis with lugs thereon differently positioned relativelydo the length of the wheel, and butts variously positioned lengthwise of the needle slots, said butts being operatively connected to said lugsfor controlling the relation of said needles to said cam whereby the pattern may be varied by rearrangement of the lugs or the butts or both.

19. In a knitting machine, a slotted needle bed, needle earns, a needle in a slot of the bed out of control of said needle cams, a jack movable lengthwise of the slot to bring the needle into control of a needle cam, a jack cam, means for moving the ack into and out of operative relation to its cam including a presser with a plurality of butts, and means acting selectively on said butts.

20. In a knitting machine, a slotted needle bed, a needle in a slot of the bed, needle cams, a jack movable lengthwise of the slot to effect the operation of the needle, a jack cam, a trick wheel having its axis parallel to the needles and having interchangeable strip-like elements axially located thereon with pattern characteristics arranged at 'difierent points along their length, means for rotating the wheel, and means operable by said pattern characteristics for selectively moving the jacks out of operative relation to the jack cam. I

21. In a knitting machine, a slotted needle cylinder, needles slidable in slots in said cylinder, elements parallel to one or more of said needles for controlling the raising of the needlcs,said elements having projecting butts variously positioned along their length and being movable radially of said cylinder, and a pattern device having pattern characteristics arranged in rows parallel to the needles, said pattern characteristics selectively con- Erolling the action of the needles through said utts.

22. In a knitting machine, a slotted needle cylinder, needles in the slots of the cylinder, a trick wheel rotatable on an axis parallel to that of the cylinder, interchangeable tricks in stationary position on the trick wheel, differentiated butts on the tricks, means for retating the wheel intermittently, and means operable by said butts for selectively controlling the action of the needles according to the position of the trick wheel, said means including a plurality of radially. movable cams at various elevations each cam having a vertical cam face adjacent the needle cylinder.

23. In an independent needle knitting machine, knitting needles adapted to be selcc- .tively raised by means comprising strip-like elements individual to saidneedles and movable transversely of the needle bed, said striplike elements each having one or more butts variously located along their length, and a pattern surface constantly moving relatively to said elements for so moving them, said pattern surface having pattern controlling agencies for each of said butts.

24. A knitting machine having a set of needles, cams for reciprocating the needles, acks adapted to contact with the needles for raising needles selectively, means for actuating the jacks, sub-jacks approximately parallel to the needles for controlling the relation of the jacks and their actuating means, and pattern means at the needle side "of the bed for controlling the action of said sub-jacks.

25. In a knitting machine, a series of needles, a series of jacks for raising the needles, a series of sub-jacks approximately parallel to the needles, dilferentiated butts'on the subjacks, means for actuating the acks, and means at the needle side of the bed acting on the butts of the sub-jacks for selectively controlling the operation of the jacks, substantially asset forth.

26. In a knitting machine, a slotted needle bed, a series of independent needles having butts projecting from the slots in said bed, means for moving the needles endwise including slidable jacks, means for actuating the jacks, means for controlling the engagement of the jacks and their actuating means including sub-jacks in said slots having butts projecting from said slots at the same side of the needle bed as the needle-butts, and selective actuating means for the sub-jacks, substan tially as set forth.

27 In a knitting machine, a needle bed having slots, a series of needles in said slots, needle cams relatively movable across said slots, a series of jacks for moving the needles endwise by movement in the direction of the length of the needles, means to control the action of the jacks selectively includingsubjacks parallel to the needles, said subacks being movable to imparttransverse move ment to the jacks, and controlling means for the sub-jacks at the same side of the needle bed as said needle cams, substantially as set forth.

28. In a knitting machine, a series of independent needles, a needle bed slotted to receive said needles, means for moving the needles endwise including jacks adapted to contact with the needles, means for actuating the jacks including a.jack-contacting lifting cam having relative movement crosswise of the slots in said bed, means for controlling the engagement of the jacks and their actuating means including sub-jacks, and selective actuating means for the subacks said selective actuatingmeans operating on the sub jacks at the same side of the needle bed as said jack cam, substantially as set forth.

29. In a knitting machine, a series of needles, a set of needle cams including a cam for moving the needles into yarn-taking position, a series of jacks, movable parallel to the needles, a cam contacting with the jacks for elevating the jacks to move needles into the field of action of said needle cams, and meansv located Wholly at the needle side of the bed for preventing the elevation of selected jacks by said cam means, substantially as set forth.

30. In a knitting machine, a series of needles, a set of needle cams including a cam normally out of range for moving the needles into yarn-taking position, a series of jacks extending approximately parallel to the needles, means for actuating the jacks to move needles'into the field of action of said last-named cam, elongated sub-jacks extending approximately parallel to the needles and controlling the relation of tive means for actuating the sub-jacks,'sub stantially as set forth.

31. A knitting machine having a needle bed, cams arranged in a plurality of sets at the needle side of the bed, independent needles actuated by cams of one set, projectors \for moving needles selectively into {positionfor engagement by a cam of said set, said projectors having butts positioned to engage a cam constituting a second set, and means acting selectively on the projectors to take their butts out of the field of action of said cam including sub-jacks acuatedby cams in a thirdset, substantially as set forth.

32. In a knitting machine, a needle cylinder, a set of'needle cams, needles having butts of said needle cams, jacks normally operative to raise the needles into thera'nge ofa' needle cam, pattern means ontside the needle cylinder, and connections from said pattern means to the jacks for rendering the jacks selectively inoperative, said connections being also outside the needle cylinder, and said pattern means and connections being rotatable relatively to the needle cylinder, substantially as set' forth.

33. In a knitting machine,a slotted needle cylinder, needles therein, needle cams, jacks movable lengthwise of'the needle slots for raising the needles, vertically-extending radially displaceable elements at the outer side of the needle cylinder each controlling an in dividual jack, and means'outside the needle cylinder for selectively acting on said elements at different points along the length of said elements,substantially asset forth.

. 34. In a knitting machine, a slotted needle cylinder, needles therein, needle cams, jacks movable lengthwise of the needle slotsj for raising the needles, elongated radially displaceable elements lying in the slots of the cylinder parallel to the jacks each controlsaid jacks to their actuating means, and selecling the operation of one of said jacks, butts on each of said radially displaceable elements projecting outward from said slots, and means for selectively acting on said butts, substantially as set forth.

85. A circular knitting machine having a slotted needle bed, cams arranged in a plurality of sets, independent needles in the slots of the bed actuated by canisof one set, jacks in the slots for moving needles upward into position to engage a cam of said set, said jacks 'liavingbutts positioned to engage a cam of a second set and the jacks resilientlv holding their butts out of the slots, and means acting selectively on the jacks to take their butts out of the field of action of said lastnamed cam, substantially as set forth;

36. A knitting machine having a needle cylinder, cams arranged in a plurality of sets about said cylinder, independent needles actuated by cams of one set, slidable jacks for raising the needles into position to engage a cam of said set, a cam for moving all the jacks, controlling means for selectively determining the operative relation of said cam v and the individual jacks including sub-jacks having butts at different elevations, and individually movable cams outside the needle cylinder acting on said butts at corresponding elevations, substantially as set forth.

37. In a knitting machine, a series of needles, aset of needle cams, a series of jacks, means for actuating the jacks to move needles into the field of action of a needle cam, a

series of sub-jacks controllingthe relation of said jacks to their actuating means, butts at different points on the sub-jacks, and selective actuating means for engagement with said butts, substantially as set forth.

38. A circular knitting machine comprising a needle cylinder, a-series of needles therein, a set of revolving needle cams, means for moving the needles into operative relation with the needle cams including a trick wheel rotatable about an axis parallel to that of the needle cams, interchangeable strip-like elements extending lengthwise of said wheel, selectively-operable connections from said trick wheel to the needles, and pattern controlled means for rotating the trick wheel,

' substantially as set forth.

39. In a knittlng machine, a stationary needle cylinder, a revolving cam ring, a series of needles in the cylinder, a series of jacks for raising the needles,a series of sub-jacks with differentiated butts, means for actuating the jacks, and means carried by the cam ring outside the needle cylinder, said means acting selectively on the butts of the sub-j asks for controlling the operation of the jacks by the j ackactuating means. I

40. In a knittingmachine, a stationary slotted needle cylinder, a revolving cam ring, a

series of needlesin the slots of the cylinder, a

,seriesof jacks in said slots for raising the ments individual to said needles, said striplike elements each having one or more butts variously located along their length and having a movement transversely-of the needle bed, pattern means, and earns between said pattern means and said butts adapted to act on each butt for imparting such transverse movement to the strip-like elements, said pattern means and said cams moving constantly .past said elements in the operation of the machine.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this 17th day of March, A. D. nineteen hundred and twenty-six.

ELLIER U. AMES. 

